The write-in options on the IDMU surveys offer a valuable ‘early warning’ system for new psychoactive drugs appearing on the UK market. There has been a notable (4-fold) increase in the incidence of write-in drugs over the past 5 years, and although part of this is attributable to improvements in survey methodology and data collection, the increasing availability of so-called ‘legal highs’ from ‘head-shops’ and via...

4-Methylethylcathinone

(Methylethcathinone, 4-MEC, N-Cat, NRG-2)

4-Methylethcathinone (4-MEC) is an ethylated analog of cathinone similar in structure and activity to Mephedrone but with an ethyl substituent at the nitrogen atom rather than methyl in mephedrone[i]. It has been marketed as a legal high under the trade names NRG2 and N-Cat.

Naphyrone (NRG-1)

Mephedrone

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a derivative of Cathinone, which is one of a number of alkaloids which can be extracted from the (fresh) leaves of Catha edulis (khat), a plant widely-used as a traditional stimulant in Somali and Yemeni communities.